I am giving you permission to sit back, let 2011 slip out of your thoughts for a moment and think about the future. Yes, the future. 2012 is a unwritten story, especially when it comes to your business, brand and strategies.

Strategies, Plural

The one-size-fits-all knitted winter hat style of marketing has never worked. Simply put, BE FLEXIBLE. (If you are not flexible add “Start Yoga” to your New Years resolutions. Trust me it will work both mentally and physically.) Don’t start 2012 with high expectations that your ten page marketing plan is going to attract a legion of clean leads, get you featured on Oprah’s favorite things and pay for that fancy world tour.

Break Down Goals

Create a strategy per business goal. For example, at BizeeBee, we found that studios in non-competitive, small cities were an excellent market fit for our service as it is today. That meant we created an entire strategy focused on that market segment. From physical mailing, email marketing to follow ups through other channels our strategy revolved around a clear vision and the tactics were easier to design as well as measure.

Pitch From Your Perspective

It is easy for business owners to get carried away with trying to sell their vision to people. When in reality, what sells is stories. I don’t mean novels, unless you are JK Rowling. My husband, Eli, recently launched his first big project called Claratii. Word of mouth has been his strategy for spreading the word. I was proud to witness him sharing his story on why he created the tool. He starts off with sharing how having clear communication between him and I around finances as well as future financial planning was very important to him. People engage and relate to his challenges, then delight in trying out this solution.

Hear Your Vision From Someone Else

Remember the days of awkward middle and highschool? Well, one lesson in particular that is valuable from those days to apply to your strategy is peer reviews. Yes, those moments when Joe Too-Cute-To-Look-At-Without-Blushing read your paper and gave you thoughts on how to improve it, what he thought it meant and other tips were actually teaching you a valuable lesson. I challenge you to sit down with a friend and ask them “What does my business do?”. I heard this tactic recently used by Derek Johnson, CEO and Founder of Tatango. He was surprised to hear his friend tell him all kinds of things about his business, but it was a bit fuzzy. What did he do? He simplified his message to focus just on what they did best.

Fall Back In Love

That happy tingling sensation that makes you smile, motivates you to keep going and makes those long nights worth it? Yeah, that’s love. Love for your customers, for your employees, and your vision. If you want to know the key to being genuine it is speaking and acting from the heart, not standing behind fluffy marketing messages. One great example comes from a company I have always enjoyed working with, Freshbooks.

“It is tough to find a phone number for most web companies, but Freshbooks’ number is on the top of the home page. The company even brags on its blog about its commitment to answering the phone … Love doesn’t necessarily pay the bills, of course. But Saul [Colt] says his philosophy “will deliver an incredible ROI that can’t be tracked in a traditional way.” – INC

This 2012, stuff your marketing, business, branding and outreach strategies for success. Wishing you a very happy, and healthy New Year!Similar Posts:

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No doubt you have learned a great deal on your marketing adventure. Learned that hiring someone to stand on the street corner with a sign for a week was a bit of a flop, or maybe you also learned that knocking on doors in the evenings to be grassroots, was only getting old men mad at you. Whether your marketing strategies were belly flops or successful there are a few things I bet are holding you back.

So starting today…

Give up perfection.

You are going to go bald, if you are bald you are going to grow weird alien due to stress. Plus, perfection is often overlooked. Don’t spend precious resources beating around the bush for the perfect thing. Developers have a great way of saying, “Ship it!”… or it is build, measure, learn.

Give up comparing yourself to competitors.

I hear myself doing this and frankly, it doesn’t do much besides throw away time. Oh well if we only had X feature we could do Y. “Yeah, well we don’t so what’s your next bright idea?” Competitors didn’t invent the wheel, neither did you. However, you might be able to learn from them but don’t step in their foot prints wishing your feet were the same size, silly as it sounds many of my past clients spend a lot of crucial time trying to figure out the competitors secret sauce. Create your own and be proud of it!

Give up flogging yourself.

So, you belly flopped. You are human right? (If you are an alien, please skip to the next point.) Plus, whether you like it or not you are going to make another mistake in the future. If you don’t make any mistakes, well then you aren’t trying at your job hard enough. “The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.”

Give up tapping your toes and checking your watch.

Waiting for X feature so you can run Y campaign well, to be honest isn’t going to happen when you want it or during the time you want it. Don’t wait till after lunch, or the morning to finish that project that is going to be a total brain drain. Just do it! Nike style. Remember: “What we don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow.”  Oh and another fancy tip: “Knowledge and intelligence are both useless without action”.

Give up trying to make everyone happy.

So you have the CEO, sales, engineering and customer service are all breathing down your back. Oh yeah, vendors and customers too. So, what do you do? Set boundaries, be honest and clear with everyone so that expectations are set. Don’t let people drop things off at your desk and blindly say “Sure! I can do it”, in hopes of being invited to their birthday party (the cake is a lie anyways). Doesn’t mean you can’t be friendly, and make the lonely person in the lunch room’s day a little brighter by saying “Hi!” (not in a misleading way or you might have a new admirer). Tools like Basecamp can make project transparency a little easier.

Give up holding back your feedback.

Ever tried to hold back a sneeze? Yeah… not comfortable is it. It’s normal for people to sneeze just as it is normal for people part of a team to share their ideas. Those who decide to be wall flowers end up blending in, and their value sometimes sadly overlooked. Now, you don’t need to bring a soap box to every meeting yet don’t hold back sharing feedback, ideas and engaging with your team. Who knows, you next big idea might strike gold for the company or your career.Similar Posts:

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The summer flew just as the autumn leaves fell down. During the weekdays I soaked up knowledge on yoga and fitness businesses, reaching out to business owners and spending hours perched on my social media, adwords and SEO soapboxes spreading the word about BizeeBee with my lil-Lyndi megaphone.

The weekends were filled with sun soaking adventures, enjoying riding in the mountains with my husband and his new horse. Camping trips and of course gardening. If this was a journal entry this little intro would be followed by a list of things I am deeply thankful for. I will give you the short list.

The Seattle Community:

This Friday, Seattle friends and family will gather to honor and support a dear friend and her husband who is battling a very rare cancer. The event called the Seattle Geek Roast has attracted big Seattle names like Chris Pirillo, Shauna Causey and Brian Westbrook all in the name of fun. Volunteers have come out of the wood work as well as donations for the events. I am beaming with pride seeing the community come together for Alyssa and Nick. Read their story and come to the event!

Crossfit Affiliates

If there a gold metal for a type of business that is genuinely packed to every sq foot of a business with passion and the owner’s being it would be hands down Crossfit. If you are wondering, what is Crossfit or have heard myths about Crossfit start here. I had the pleasure of hoping on my marketing soap box and sharing with a room full of Crossfit business owners ideas on how to grow and market their business. Key thing: They, as trainers and business owners are the best marketing they’ve got. The majority of new Crossfit students come through referrals from other students. A very community focused business that creates a tight knit group of people willing to suffer through workouts together.

The Business of OM:

In a few weeks it will be year that I have learned that yoga businesses are nearly in every corner of every part of the world. These are businesses that truly seek to improve the lives of their students. Another community based business that I have deeply learned to love. Why? Well, since working with BizeeBee I see that these sorts of businesses are underserved, however they serve their students and communities tirelessly. From projects like Poses for Paws, and Yoga Bear there is a connection between yogis that is uniquely passionate in how they live and run their business. Delightful being able to work with them, give them tips on marketing and show them how simplifying the way they run their business gives them more time with their students, in their communities and on the mat.

Spring of 2012:

This spring is going to be a busy one! There are two new bundles of joy expected this spring. My sister in law announced we can expect a niece! The other is our very own bundle of joy. Yes, that’s right. I am expecting! Just passed 15 weeks and both Eli and I are feeling incredibly blessed. Since seeing the first ultrasound at around 10 weeks, the little person was bouncing around having a dance party, so we have given it the temporary name of “Jumping Bean.” Right after Thanksgiving we will know whether the little bean is a little man or a little lady.Similar Posts:

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• Lessons for Startups Learned Through Yoga

Unless you use some sort of fluffy critter (Nice job Cheezburger) I wouldn’t be lured easily. If you are a startup you most likely have given up on me and my stubborn, busy and “thanks, but not interested” friends. I am never the one to wait in line for a new apple product, nor do I jump at new social media invites. I have not and most likely will never be a customer of QVC. I still use a $300 Windows based Toshiba laptop, own a blackberry and drive a manual six speed. I am by no means an “Alpha Quitter”, however the few times I have tried to be an early adopter has created one more inactive account, or a no-longer-loyal loyalty card holder.

You've reached the early adopters don't stop! - Photo-Collective

For most companies looking to gain traction, I am not your ideal customer.  My hard to sell friends will nod in agreement when I say that doesn’t mean we aren’t worth talking to. Here’s why:

We aren’t moles. We are actually quite social.

Just because we aren’t joining you at midnight to wait for the newest Apple thingy doesn’t mean we live in caves. Think beyond the web. I host and organize events, work with non-profits and consult with small businesses. I am one of those crazy people that say “Good morning!” to strangers, and happily shares conversations while waiting for coffee. I am also very interested in listening and learning one of the reasons I attend workshops, meetups and networking events. I read blogs, the news and forums.

Listen, and join in the conversation.

First off are you where I am? Do you participate in conversation in Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, how about networking events and workshops? I might be a bit extreme as I am unusually accessible for a late adopter.  My best advice, learn to listen before you speak.

“The market need you’ve identified may be foreign to most people you speak with.  The value you’re creating doesn’t yet translate.  The very people you could help, think you’re crazy.” – Four keys to selling beyond early adopters, Geekwire

Have fun learning the language, the culture and jump with the intention of having a conversation.

In your network? Instant evangelist.

One quick direct message from someone I know on Twitter and I am on it like a bee on honey! Your network is mostly likely stronger than you give it credit for. Even if your network isn’t your target market they are more than willing to help you spread the word. They will spread your message like butter across hot toast. Keep them in the loop with as much of a personal touch as possible, in other words don’t just add them to your MailChimp list, maintain a genuine connection.

Give a little, get a lot.

I love hearing what my friends are up to and look for ways to support them. After meeting Chris Lynch founder of Thoughful.co was kind enough to talk to me as well as the BizeeBee founder about fundraising. So what did I do, I instantly started scanning Thoughful.co for a birthday present for my sister in law, found – done and with great success! I also forwarded the site on to a few friends wondering what to get a mutual friend who has everything, (even a sailboat).

The moral

Don’t give up on those who aren’t going to fill your pockets quick with cash. Look at them differently, more as eh… humans. Don’t be afraid to refresh your strategy, reach out to your existing network for feedback help and assistance in spreading the word. Zoom out and let your teeth chew on the big picture. Don’t fret over trying to catch a quick buck. (Even though they are cute, and fuzzy.)Similar Posts:

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You got up, put your ironed shirt on and snuggled into your cubicle for another day. An email pops into your inbox from a manager that is literally five feet away, stating: “Can you please come into my office?”. This is the sort of office that is well packed with random stuff, an office that would take longer than two hours to pack up is a sign that person if a lifer, meaning they are betting they will only leave if A they retire or B they are hauled out by the paramedics.

You sit down, and boss rattles problems his manger’s manager’s supervisor said and wants YOU to make he/she look smart and come up with an solution. You blink; find some strength in your gut. “This is your chance, tell them your big idea!” – Says your inner bottled up entrepreneur. With confidence, delivered almost seamlessly you put your BIG idea on the table. After 45 seconds you have lost the boss to what seems to be a distracted day dream that far beyond paying attention to any syllable you said. You could have slipped in something random like, “Turkey Monster” without a reaction.

The phone rights, someone barges into your meeting, or some other random distraction seems to relieve your boss and you get the “Sounds OK, can you come up another idea? The create a few different prototypes that have synergy and we will meet again tomorrow? Great. Thanks!”

Sigh. Don’t be discouraged. Before you snuggle back into your cubicle, imagine for a second it was burning. There was no more cube to back to, to sit at and wait for another email, another meeting. Feeling a bit relieved? That is a sign that you haven’t settled into the retirement loop, you my friend have passion, and you have some seriously untapped potential. Time to consider working WITH not just for a startup and see your big ideas come to life.

Why a Startup Over Another Cube Job?

Me (Lyndit) at BizeeBee headquarters in Palo Alto, CA

“I went to a mid-sized company after graduation, and I have to admit that the catered lunches, subsidized French classes and swanky Christmas parties were fun. Then I went to a startup, and all of those big company perks went away. In their place I found an environment where you are truly allowed to take charge of your career – to learn from an entrepreneur first-hand; to take on projects way above your experience level; and to contribute meaningfully to the direction of a company.” – Erin Bury, Perspectives: Startups vs. Large Companies, Vestiigo

Passionate Motivated Employees: Groups that are brought together with a focus are undeniably productive (No, I don’t have fancy stats to back that up). What is one of the most valuable assets in an employee? Passion. Employees of startups figure out real quick whether or not they connect with their Founder’s vision. If they do, they become one of the Wright brothers being a strong ally when a product is launched over the cliff testing to see if it will fly.

Best Experience of Your Life: No matter what your role is you will find working for a startup is challenging in a way that polishes your skills and makes you think like you never have before. Startups create jobs, give people a chance to add spice back to their career and see their ideas turn into action.

“Startups aren’t just an important contributor to job growth: they’re the only thing. Without startups, there would be no net job growth in the U.S. economy.“ – TechCrunch.

Where to Start?

Attend events like Seattle Startup Day, network and shadow startups. I personally loved borrowing Teachstreet’s Wifi for a few hours before Hops and Chops to get a sense of their culture.

End the 9-5, stop seeing your ideas flushed down the red tape drain and let your entrepreneurial spirit bloom by joining a startup.Similar Posts:

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The BIG company scene: Paperwork, cubicles and months of progress hindered by meetings and bureaucracy. Decisions are eventually made in the glory of making someone with a cash interest smile. There are many software companies that have grown into a Pizza the Hut creature oozing with some vile inability to serve the needs of the market.

So, in a coffee shop at a Seattle 2.0 event or some other place of inspiration an idea is born with a group of talented people willing to take on the pizza monster. They build their product into the night, often fueled by Mountain Dew and Sour Patch Kids, until they are ready to launch or in other words - “With his sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath.”

TKO WIN for David – The Startup

Two Ears – One Mouth:

Successful startups know that listening to their market creates relationships, which then creates traction; the golden key for success. Social media, email and even cell phones have shaped the way communication happens giving nimble startups a chance to engage with customers at lightening speed. A tweet to test the market’s reception to new features and ideas is pretty fancy indeed!

Customized Customer Experience:

The product doesn’t have reflect the back-bending customer experience of Starbucks: “Tripple Ristretto, two splashes of hazelnut syrup extra foam latte, extra hot with cinnamon sprinkled on the top, two straws and double sleeves …” However, startups automatically get the ace of product flexibility as they are typically small, nimble and have developed close relationships with their customers.

“The importance of using technology to understanding your customers and deliver a personalized experience …” - Venture Blog

Big companies often cast huge nets and try to make new features that are generic, adding onto a product that was onetime specific to the behaviors of the targeted customer. Staying course in a niche market means the product will be tailored to fit and provide solutions to specific problems. In other words, startups can design and sell band-aids while big companies sell and convince customers they need full body casts.

Rockstar Loyal Customers & Evangelists

Startup teams create relationships with their customers, those customers often feel as if they are part of the team. Feedback is given freely and the relationship turns a target market customer into an evangelist for the startup.

And so, “He reached into his bag and took out a stone, which he slung at Goliath.  It hit him on the forehead and Goliath fell face downward on the ground.” BAM! Go startups!

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Features stuffed inside features is just what the Army Knife, fully loaded car and buffet restaurants have all been able to successfully offer. Yet, for most of the time and for most of us; simple works best.

Even as we get busier and are offered fancier gadgets, tricksy cars and order complex espresso drinks we still choose things like: flip flops, macaroni & cheese, post-it notes, whiteboards, stay-cations and duct tape.

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.~Hans Hofmann, Introduction to the Bootstrap, 1993

Working on the front line for startups I always hear “We need X, and Y feature”. Customers want to see more, they want to hear bells and honk horns. They want features that they think will make their lives easier. In some cases, their insight is the guiding light to making or breaking the product and does help their business. Other times it is a matter of teaching them how a simple tool is powerful, and the value in simple vs every feature under the sun.

A few of my favorite simple things:

The Spoon:

Even while spending weeks in the Alpine Wilderness, I never doubted my trusty spoon. Under my social media presence is a true wilderness girl that loves packing up a couple pairs of clothes, hopping on a horse and hitting the trails. Cooking in a cast iron Dutch oven each evening I never pulled out my army knife and stirred the stew. It was my simple, easy to clean, stir and eat spoon that kept me content for my offline excursions.

Food:

When I begin growing gray hair I want to open a simple lunch café near a river. Serving the basics, grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, iced tea and garden salads all made from ingredients grown locally or right on the café property. I want this to be an inexpensive, feel good sort of place for patrons to have exceptionally good tasting and good memory food. Simple, tasty and affordable.

Campfires:

Entertaining twenty plus guests can be pulled off with a simple recipe: Marshmallows roasted on a stick then squished onto a piece of chocolate in-between two graham crackers.

I tend the fire keeping the whole circle of guests happily entertained talking, and roasting. In the time we have been hosting campfires people have found new customers, new workout buddies even new jobs by attending our smore roasting low-key evenings.

This simple evening event has become a friend and family favorite eliminating my assumption that more stuff, and entertainment made a better party. Smores voted #1 Thompson event 3 years running.

Twitter:

A simple prompt of “What are you doing?” in 140 characters is what Twitter asked. Me, I got a whole new life chapter facilitated by this simple social media platform. While some begged, and pleaded for more features Twitter was able to satisfy 150 million users and growing to connect, share and engage.

So why is someone who loves social media, and marketing talking about simple? Well, it’s simple. [ha ha] There is always a push for more, better, faster, shinier and more attention grabbing. Yet, I think deep down we appreciate simple more than we like to admit. We enjoy the spoon, our favorite basic and easy to make foods, easy non-stress ways to gather people we love, and we want to connect with people we don’t know.

Celebrate the simple.

You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need. ~Vernon Howard

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In yoga, I am very much a student. I enjoy listening to the instructor and being reminded to check-in with myself as a whole. Mind and body, I need to check in with the whole “Lyndi”. Every yoga studio I have ever attended has one key element: acceptance. You will never have an instructor tell you in order to do yoga properly or be a true yogini, you need to wear $200 yoga pants or look, act or be a certain way. There is no glory in being the fastest, doing the most repetitions or sweating the most. There is honor in treating everyone, including yourself, with respect.

Yoga Teaches Startups Keys for Success

Everyone is a Student: If you are in a startup you most likely love to learn. You have also gotten used to failing with an attitude of trying again. When you do fail, you are curious and engaged in learning ways to make the next attempt a little better. Fear is replaced with curiosity that fuels your need to ask a lot of questions.

The Power of Check-ins: In the yoga studio, the instructor may remind students five to ten times to “come back to center, find your breath”. Working for a startup we can take the responsibility to check-in for ourselves, come back to center and refocus. Take a few deep breaths, and ask yourself:

• Are there too many things going on?
• Is there something that needs to be delegated out?
• What is going on outside of work that is distracting me?
• Are there tools I need that would make things simpler?

Less is More:  Mat, check. Water bottle, check. Flip flops, check. Startups need very little equipment to do what they need to do. Finding an item from Ikea in a startup office might be seen as a luxury item. Most of the tables, chairs and printers are from Craigslist or brought from home. Like yoga students, startup folks don’t expect fancy. Sometimes fancy (unless it is food) makes people nervous. Startups start everywhere, even in co-working spaces. Talented creatives work side by side, keeping overhead low. With spring around the corner it is a good time to reduce the clutter and distractions to focus on what is important and most beneficial for the team.

Everyone is Learning: Yoga makes you twist, bend and be in all kinds of giggle inducing positions. Wise startups create a culture where, even when things get funky, it is OK. Sharing and trying new ideas is welcomed and encouraged. In the studio and in the office you will find passionate people willing to learn, work and have fun while they do it. Their passion on the mat or in front of their computer is energized by being challenged and engaged. In yoga there is no set path, style or studio you have to stick with. You will get sub teachers and find yourself challenged with new kinds of poses. Startups find themselves learning more about customers, tweaking priorities, having to rebuild months of progress, and changing strategy. Everyone is learning and if you zoom out you can see it is quite beautiful.

Perseverance: When your expensive, hoping-to-go-viral video can’t even get a one measly retweet and your crow pose ends up in a belly flop on the mat, don’t give up. As my yoga instructor Nikki says, “Yoga is the art of learning to start again… and again”. Sometimes it means taking a little walk, a group huddle or a one-on-one with a leader you trust and can seek guidance from.

Remember Etiquette: There is an unofficial yoga etiquette that is widely accepted. Come to class clean with a clean mat. Arrive on time and don’t be disruptive when you come in late, join in and get focused. Both in the studio and in the office communication is key. Respect is shown by listening, keeping people informed and keeping yourself ready to take on the tasks at hand.

Relax, Don’t Tense Up: When you are in mountain pose, stand in mountain pose. If the next pose is planks, just be in the moment and stay focused on mountain pose. Relax, find your breath and don’t worry about what is coming up. The same goes for when a big project is due; work with focus yet still remain relaxed. Try to limit multitasking and just be in the moment.

Honor and Encourage: In the studio, students often encourage one another, however it is also important for students to encourage their instructors. Startups should never hold back when giving appreciation. Working long hours with tight deadlines and budgets can easily distract us that our biggest, most important assets and elements of our success: our co-workers and leaders.

Learn more about how yoga can help startups be successful by spending a few hours on the mat. For me, working for BizeeBee, a yoga studio software startup, is personally an extra special treat. I get to hear from yoga instructors, studio owners and startup folk that find themselves more relaxed, focused and ready to take on some pretty impressive challenges by approaching them one breath at a time. Namaste.Similar Posts:

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If you are looking for the perfect recipe for love unfortunately the ingredients don’t include sparkling jewels, chocolate or Hallmark cards.

Love isn’t something simple that can be labeled, defined and filed with expertise. Love evolves just as our way of communicating evolves. In the age of social media, text messages and video conferencing we have more opportunities that ever to express our love with appreciation.

Here are three women people I have come to deeply appreciate for what they do, what they stand for and who they are.

Connecting friendship and entrepreneurship

Melody Biringer
Seattle, WA
The Crave Company
Beyond the book that showcases women owned businesses, Crave’s foundation is paved with a passion for good friends friendship sharing their entrepreneurial stores.
Thank you for encouraging, believing in and investing time to inspire women across the globe.

Twitter: @melodybiringer | Website: TheCraveCompany.com | Blog: Startup Junkie

Supporting community health through technology

Poornima Vijayashanker
Palo Alto, CA
BizeeBee

Across the nation yoga is becoming a way of life for people to relax, improve their health and gain amazing friendships. BizeeBee is a software solution to make managing a yoga studio simple, affordable and

Thank you for sharing your vision, creating a strong team and being bold in supporting communities that you love.

Twitter: @Poornima | Website: BizeeBee.com | Blog: femgineer.com

Uniting the social creating positive change

Shauna Causey
Seattle, Wa
Techmavens & Voluntweetup
Techmavens rounds up nominations for women doing amazing things in technology in order to acknowledge their accomplishments and inspire other women. Voluntweetup is a beacon for social media savvy volunteers to raise awareness and take action for local non-profits.

Thank you for expressing your faith in the potential of others, standing by your values and being a voice for non-profits.

Twitter: @ShaunaCausey | Website: Techmavens.com | Blog: shaunacausey.posterous.com

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It is expected that as the New Year begins we take time to reflect on the previous year. We look back on our accomplishments, challenges and what we have learned with various intentions. Some look to the past to review performance, create new processes and further pave the path of productivity. Others look to the past and see obstacles overcome with creativity, perseverance and honesty and realize acknowledging those accomplishments are critical not only to productivity yet to the brand’s culture and history and future.

Over the last few years we have all been witness to the heart of social media, the power to connect friends, family, customers, businesses, non-profits, groups and more across states, continents and nations.

For me social media has given me a marketing tool comparable to attending every conference, getting to know everyone at each coffee shop and attending tons of Meetup groups. With the intention to reach out, connect and develop genuine long lasting relationships.

The values I bring to social media are founded in customer service. I believe in and have seen social media reach its true potential when the brands are genuine, customer focused and human.

The challenge I give to you for 2011 is to use the tools of social media not to sell but to be social. Be authentic, open your arms and welcome opportunity. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.Similar Posts:

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